6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
An old hermit makes a pact with the devil and is resurrected as a young man. He poses as Nick Richards and begins practicing black magic in the hermit's shack. In sinister ceremonies involving sacrificial goats, Nick is able to transform into demonic animals and wreak havoc in a small town. The village sheriff and doctor begin to get suspicious after a series of deaths and are shocked as their horrifying fears are confirmed. Ed Nelson gives an eerie performance as the Devil's partner in this ghastly tale...
Starring: Ed Nelson (I), Edgar Buchanan, Jean Allison, Richard Crane, Spencer CarlisleHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1, 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (192 kbps)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of the two disc The Devil's Partner release from Film Masters.
Film Masters is continuing with its curation of some early and perhaps arguably lesser known Roger Corman or Corman adjacent offerings (courtesy of
his Filmgroup production entity founded with his brother Gene), having already
served up Beast from Haunted Cave and Ski Troop Attack, along with what is probably a better
remembered Corman effort, The Terror (that release also
included The Little Shop of Horrors). Though The Devil's
Partner (or just Devil's Partner, as its actual title card reads) was evidently shot in 1958, according to the back cover of this release it
really didn't get exhibited until 1961, when it was frequently paired on a double feature with Creature from the Haunted Cave. The first tale
is a twist of sorts on a kind of quasi-Faustian conceit, whereas the second is a somewhat daffy offering that followed in the darkly comedic footsteps of
A Bucket of Blood and that aforementioned Corman
effort "starring" an out of control house plant.
The Devil's Partner is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Film Masters with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in either 1.85:1 or 1.37:1 (I've included screenshots from both aspect ratios so that those interested can contrast and compare). While nowhere near as variant in quality as Creature from the Haunted Sea, there are some noticeable differences in clarity and especially grain structure scattered throughout this generally nice looking presentation. At its best moments, this transfer features a decently tightly resolved grain field, good contrast and some commendable detail levels. Other moments, though, show a marked uptick in grain grittiness and a concomitant loss of clarity and fine detail. I've tried to provide a couple of screenshots of some of the better and worse sections for comparison's sake. There are occasional minor nicks (young or old, as the case may be), blemishes and scratches, but no really debilitating damage. The film has a number of opticals, including some transformation scenes for Nick/Pete, and those understandably can be a bit rougher looking than the bulk of this presentation.
The Devil's Partner features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track which does show some boxiness and maybe even a bit of stridency in the highest registers, but which still provides an adequate accounting of a minimalist sound design. Filmgroup only distributed this effort, but there are a number of other Corman connections, including composer Ronald Stein, who contributes an effective score. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
The Devil's Partner actually starts out rather stylishly, with a "sacrifice" that is alluded to rather smartly, even if Pete's "magickal pentagram" is more of a trapezoid, but then things get more and more rote as they progress, with a lot of any potential suspense kind of dissipated. Some of the supporting performances are fun, but the film never really generates any significant angst. Technical merits are generally solid, and the supplements are quite enjoyable, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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